NBA officials and players got a taste of Chinese communism recently after Chinese officials reacted to a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.

Morey had the audacity to tweet in support of the protesters in Hong Kong who are battling the oppression of the Chinese communist leaders.

Free speech is not allowed in a communist state like China.

President Trump understands this and has taken a tough stand in trade negotiations with the Chinese, who have taken advantage of the United States for decades. (By the way, former Vice President Joe Biden loves the Chinese communists and would not change a thing in trade policy).

After the tweet, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets played an exhibition game in Shanghai. The communists, just hours before the game, issued an order that there be no media availability following the game. The Chinese leaders cancelled the pregame news conference of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and they forced the cancellation of two NBA Cares events and other NBA promotions.

Even if you live in the United States where we have free speech, you will pay a price in Communist China.

So, the exhibition games were played under a cloud of authoritarianism and danger.

The chief sponsors of the NBA – shoe companies – manufacture many of their products within China. And they lust over the Chinese market with over a billion potential customers. This is why there is such great interest in China by the NBA.

People in America, especially those enamored by socialism and communism, should take note. When a small ruling class eliminates capitalism and installs communism/socialism, individual rights are trampled.